OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — We’re learning more about “Operation Guardian,” a team effort conducted by several state agencies to round up illegal immigrants driving on Oklahoma highways.
The operation began Tuesday, September 22, and ended Thursday, September 25, in Western Oklahoma along I-40.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN), and the Department of Corrections (DOC) each had a role in the operation.
Drivers in commercial vehicles that were entering the state from Texas, heading eastbound towards Oklahoma City, were stopped for identification.
In a press conference on Tuesday, the Department of Public Safety said some of the drivers had commercial driver’s licenses from New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, authorities said.
On some of the licenses, the “Name” portion of the card read, “No Name Given.”
Troopers made contact with over 500 individuals from several countries. See the list in the image below.
Tim Tipton, Commissioner for DPS, said they arrested approximately 120 illegal immigrants for violations, including, but not limited to, visa overstay, illegal re-entry after prior deportation, or undetected border crossing.
“Everybody that we took into custody was turned over to ICE. A majority of them went to the Oklahoma City ICE office and then from there, ICE transferred them to whatever holding facility they’re going to use, whether it’s in Oklahoma or Texas,” said Commissioner Tipton.
Those outside of the 120 with no “arrestable” offenses found on their records were free to go.
“We are the crossroads where a lot of commercial motor vehicles and large trucks are moving through. So we feel it’s imperative that we take that enforcement seriously and be proactive about it,” Commissioner Tipton added.
Governor Kevin Stitt also weighed in on the effort, sending a statement Monday.
“If New York wants to hand out CDLs to illegal immigrants with ‘No Name Given,’ that’s on them. The moment they cross into Oklahoma, they answer to our laws. I want to thank our troopers and ICE officials for their hard work. This is about keeping Oklahomans safe.”
Governor Kevin Stitt
News 4 reached out to ICE to get an exact number of illegal immigrants detained in the state of Oklahoma since November 2024. We are waiting to hear back.
